JUST LIKE THE WENGER BOYS

Saka and Co lead the young guns to repay Arteta faith

NOTHING lifts the soul as much as young players celebrating their talents with a touch of swagger and a smattering of confidence. As such, Arsenal can be an unexpected joy at times. To be clear, against the very best, this team will likely be swept away, as they were against Liverpool last weekend.

But on their day, against poorer sides, the sight of Bukayo Saka weaving his way through defenders, Emile Smith Rowe subtly connecting the team and substitute Gabriel Martinelli euphoric as he nails a delightful finish, is enough to suggest they may be stumbling on a strategy at the club to emerge from the Arsene Wenger days.

This was a victory for the youth club. Schooled by Liverpool, Mikel Arteta stuck by his young men and was rewarded. ‘You have to trust them and give them confidence after difficult moments,’ said Arteta, himself a novice in his profession who last week raised the prospect of Wenger returning to the club in some kind of mentor role. ‘If not, it’s not real trust.’

Quite so. Having pinned their colours so firmly on their young players, mainly through necessity, it helps when you have moments like Saka’s goal on 56 minutes. There was Smith Rowe, 21, at ease in possession, touching a pass to Saka, 20. There was Nuno Tavares, 21, ready to receive the ball from Saka and then play a delightful return pass through the Newcastle defence for his team-mate to run on to. Finally, there was Saka to finish emphatically from a tight angle.

When Arsenal play like that, there are some hints of the good old Wenger days in their fluidity of movement.

And when Saka had to go off injured, on came Martinelli, 20 years old. Within a minute he had scored a wonderful goal, with Smith Rowe finding right back Takehiro Tomiyasu, 23, who chipped a delightful first time ball over the Newcastle back four. Even more exquisite was the Brazilian’s finish. With the ball dropping over his shoulder, he kept his eye on the ball and lifted it first time over the head of Martin Dubravka. Add in the odd heroic save of Aaron Ramsdale, 23, and you can see why they think they’re on to something at Arsenal.

‘I thought they needed another chance and they’ve done it today,’ said Arteta. ‘They showed during the week how they were hurt and how eager they were to put it right.’

That is how the Arteta vision is supposed to unfold. For Tavares, who last week struggled to double mark Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah, it was especially gratifying. This was a much more benign day. Incisive runs forwards is what he’s in the team for and here he delivered. Whether the callowness and enthusiasm of youth is enough to return Arsenal to the elite is a moot point. For now, progress is being made.

As for Newcastle, Arsenal fans mocked the fact they have truckloads of money but not much else. With Eddie Howe finally on the touchline after missing his opening match in charge with Covid, they were playing a 4-4-2 formation when out of possession. With Dubravka back in goal, they had solidity and a plan. The actual XI players on the pitch contained a raft of attackers. Their shape though suggested they should be only deployed very occasionally. So it was rare to see Allan Saint-Maximum freed for his duties of tucking in and tracking back on the left.

Such is Newcastle’s dilemma. Howe will be painfully aware they’re not good enough defensively to stay up and there’s a lot of games before the January window. Yet they need to break free from their shell to harness their attacking threat in order to win games. Otherwise, the Saudi state is about to be accustomed to the charms of Blackpool, Luton and Hull. It will be intriguing to see how often chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan deigns to visit if the world’s richest team is in the Championship.

‘I think my own experiences help me in the sense I know nothing is finished,’ said Howe.

Here’s a man who inherited a Bournemouth side on the verge of financial liquidation and one game way from slipping out of the league and took them into the Premier League. ‘You can achieve some remarkable things if you all believe and stay united. I have seen enough to know we can compete. If you were a neutral watching the game you wouldn’t think we are in the position we’re in.’

Howe felt the turning point was a nudge from Tavares on Callum Wilson in the penalty area at 1-0. ‘I don’t know why Callum would go down there,’ pleaded Howe. Probably because he calculated he had slightly overrun the ball and a penalty was now his best chance. It might have been given but you couldn’t complain too much.

Arsenal scored their second from the next passage of play and that finished Newcastle. Howe had a better point in suggesting his team

competed well at times. Until that first goal, Arsenal had been struggling to break down a solid side. Newcastle might even have taken a first-half lead. Jonjo Shelvey curled a shot from 20 yards that was heading into the top corner until Ramsdale intervened.

Arsenal weren’t helped by what might be the miss of the season from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who somehow directed the ball on to the outside of the post from three yards out. Still, Newcastle’s luck wouldn’t hold. And if they can’t record a first win against Norwich or Burnley, Al-Rumayyan can start checking out whether they take private jets at Luton Airport. Nice and convenient for Kenilworth Road.

ARSENAL (4-2-3-1): Ramsdale 8; Tomiyasu 7.5, White 7, Martinelli 7, Tavares 8; Partey 7, Lokonga 6.5; Saka, 8, (Martinelli 66min, 8) Odegaard 7, Smith Rowe 7.5 (Elneny 86); Aubameyang 5 (Lacazette 76). Booked: Aubameyang. Subs (not used): Leno, Tierney, Maitland-Niles, Holding, Pepe, Nketiah.

NEWCASTLE (4-4-2): Dubravka 7.5; Kraft, 6.5, Lascelles 6, Schar 6, Rictchie, 6 (Almiron 67, 6); Saint Maximin 6, Shelvey 6, (Hayden 89) Willock 5, Fraser 5; Joelinton 5 (Murohy 68, 6), Wilson 6. Booked: Krafth, Lascelles, Ritchie. Subs (not used): Darlow, Clark, Lewis, Manquillo, Longstaff.

Referee: S Attwell (Warwickshire) 6.